Raiders bring balanced attack to town

BEN MARGOT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
XXXXXX: Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell, right, is brought down with the ball by New England Patriots defensive lineman Gerald Warren, left, during the first quarter of their NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) less

BEN MARGOT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
XXXXXX: Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell, right, is brought down with the ball by New England Patriots defensive lineman Gerald Warren, left, during the first quarter of ... more

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell has a respectable 89.1 passer rating, is on pace to throw for more than 3,700 yards, and ranks in the NFL's top 10 for completion percentage.

Numbers like that have helped bring some balance to Oakland's run-oriented offense and have people talking about the 2-2 Raiders as potential playoff contenders entering Sunday's game against the Texans at Reliant Stadium.

Yet the chatter about the Raiders is more about how Campbell's ill-timed mistakes helped cost them a game last week against New England.

Plays like the momentum-shifting interception in the end zone near the end of the first half and another thrown into the hands of Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork are what's keeping Campbell from joining the upper tier of NFL quarterbacks.

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"You have to shake it off and move forward," Campbell said Wednesday. "…It's all about moving on to the next week. Sometimes the defense is going to get you."

Campbell, who has been nursing a sore foot, had been playing nearly mistake-free through the first three games despite dealing with an injury-depleted receiving corps and had a rating of 95.3 over an eight-game stretch dating to 2010.

He passed for 344 yards and a touchdown against New England, but the lingering image from that game is of Campbell making the soft throw that ended up in the hands of safety Patrick Chung after the Raiders had driven to the Patriots' 6-yard line.

Oakland trailed 14-10 at the time and never recovered from the turnover, losing 31-19.

"I've seen some good things out of Jason, but I've seen some things we need to continue to improve on," coach Hue Jackson said. "He would be the first to tell you that, and that's what we're going to do."

Moving on might not be so easy against the Texans. One week after being shredded in the fourth quarter by Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the Texans held the Steelers to 10 points.

The good news for Campbell and the Raiders is that they may have a full complement of healthy wide receivers for the first time since early in training camp.

Louis Murphy, who underwent surgery for a sports hernia in August, practiced in full pads and is expected to make his 2011 debut Sunday against Houston. His return comes a week after Jacoby Ford rejoined practice after straining a hamstring in the season opener.

"It's been a long road for him," Campbell said. "It feels good to have all the guys back. We're starting to get more healthy, and that's what it's all about."